Back to earth with a bang

IT was back to earth with a bang for Glenavon on Tuesday evening as they were defeated 2-1 at the Oval.

Just three days after beating Ballymena 7-0 at they continued their indifferent away form with the defeat to Glentoran as Ciaran Martyn’s injury time goal proved only to be a consolation.

Glenavon Snamed an unchanged line-up to the side that had beaten Ballymena and they certainly matched Glentoran in the first half.

It was a cagey opening as both teams struggled to create chances early on. Kyle Neill had the first shot but it was an ambitious long-range effort that flew wide.

Glenavon did then begin to create some better opportunities and a flick on from Marc Brown’s cross had to be cleared off the line by a well placed Glentoran defender.

In the 28th minute, they even had a penalty, which came in somewhat bizarre circumstances. Kyle Neill’s free-kick flew into the area and was headed out but the referee blew the whistle and pointed to the spot. Jimmy Callacher was booked in the aftermath but that was to be all the punishment Glentoran suffered as Guy Bates saw his penalty well saved by Elliot Morris, who dived to his right.

Bates then saw another shot well saved and before the break, Glenavon broke forward and had four players in the box but Brendan Shannon’s effort flew wide of goal.

It had been a good half for the visitors as Glentoran had offered precious little in front of goal, Jimmy Callacher firing a speculative overhead kick over the bar.

After the break Glentoran did at least get ball into the six-yard box as a dangerous cross was flashed across goal but nobody was there to convert the chance.

Glenavon should really have made them pay minutes later when Elliot Morris failed to claim a cross but Ciaran Martyn could only head over the net with the goalkeeper out of place.

Less than a minute later, Martyn had another great chance to punish his former side but this time failed to beat Morris, who did fantastically to tip his shout round the post.

And then back at the other end, Glentoran did make the midfielder rue those missed chances. The Glenavon defence was caught in two minds and striker Andy Waterworth nipped in to smash a finish beyond Davey O’Hare.

Soon after that, it was 2-0 and the game all but over. The classy Stephen Carson was this time the man on the score-sheet as he curled a superb free-kick into the top corner off the post.

It could even have been three as Glentoran began to run riot but Waterworth’s lob was well stopped by O’Hare.

Ciaran Martyn did eventually get the goal his performance had warranted as he converted substitute Gary Hamilton’s cross.

However, that wasn’t to be enough to secure anything from the game and it was more misery on the road for Glenavon.